


Arc of Ice

by LaPetiteFramboise



Category: Arc of Ice
Genre: AU, Fantasy, Idk what i'm doing, M/M, Magic, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, assassin/warlock, its gonna get spicy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 12:21:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaPetiteFramboise/pseuds/LaPetiteFramboise





	Arc of Ice

When Ezio imagined his death, he never imagined Adrian Kane. And if Ezio Faustus, a savvy connoisseur of all things macabre, knew one thing, it was that Kane would be the death of him.

It was a fairly straight forward job, at least at first. The ignorant flea of a man he was in the business of murdering was one Jakob Minchin, second son of the Earl of Bellwether. Lord that he may be, the man was utterly underwhelming. This could be in part because of his less than noble appearance, his topcoat threadbare and his cravat looking like the aftermath of a moth’s feast. For a man with a reputation for being cunning and always in the shadows of politics, his attempt at disguising himself was, at most, pitiful. Ezio could tell by one glance at his posture that he was not the toughened worker looking for a little distraction that he pretended to be. No working man came to a place of debauchery smelling of overly-saturated lilacs with a freshly shaved face and boots one could check their reflection in. Ezio, of course, didn’t need to use any of this information to pick out the rotten apple of the bunch. He was known for doing thorough research on every one of his marks.

He carefully made his way through the brothel, making sure to keep one eye on his target while engaging in hearty conversation with the Madame of the house. They knew each other well, and she had no problem with him doing business at her establishment, because more often than not he removed the more unsavory of her clientele. It was an added benefit that he had “helped” her out of an unfortunate marriage, and never bothered the ladies of the house when he visited.

After greeting Alicia and informing her of the client he would appreciate her sending his way, he walked purposefully to the bar and ordered his regular. What appeared as a shot of liquor was indeed water, but who was going to check? He needed to keep up appearances as well as a clear head. It was still early in the night, so the shabby lord wouldn’t be looking for any company for some time. This conveniently provided Ezio the opportunity to make new acquaintances. This usually entailed gentlemen of the court too far in their cups to care who they talked to, waiters, staff, and Ladies of the Night.

Another reason Alicia had no qualms with Ezio visiting her brothel was because she knew his interests lay elsewhere. Tonight, elsewhere happened to be a young man quietly drying glasses and mugs behind the bar. No one seemed to take notice of the man, which seemed quite ridiculous to Ezio, who could’ve sworn this stranger was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. The man, in fact, seemed to attract no attention at all, as if he was invisible. That thought pricked something in the back of his mind, and though he probably should’ve stayed on task, he had to investigate.

He lounged against the bar in what he hoped was a seductive yet not threatening way, and motioned the stranger over with a crook of his finger. The man looked surprised that he had been noticed, especially when he clearly was only the bartender’s apprentice. Luckily for Ezio, the bartender was preoccupied trying to scam a wealthy merchant into buying a bottle of watered-down whisky for three times the going rate, so the intriguing stranger had no choice but to heed his beckoning.

“What can I help you with, sir?”

While Ezio’s interest was piqued by the young man’s appearance, he was utterly entranced by his voice. Velvety, soft, and with a slight lilting tone, it sounded nostalgically like springtime to the assassin.

“Ahm, right.” He motioned to his empty glass that previously only contained water “I'm not quite sure what I’d like to drink next, do you have a recommendation Mr…” He paused.

“Kane, sir.”

“Kane” He twirled the name around his tongue, as if he could taste it. “Short and sweet” He said with a smile at the man. Mr. Kane, it appeared, was not used to being smiled at, and returned it with a slightly bemused look.

“Would you really like my recommendation, sir, or are you interested in an entirely different suggestion, as I believe your intention is by talking to me?”

Ezio choked on his words as he tried to think of something to say. “Excuse me if I gave you a propositional impression, that was not my intention” a half-truth at best. “I was merely curious at how you seem to be repellent to any attention whatsoever”. This got Kane’s attention, as the man sharply looked up at the assassin from the glass he was drying.

“Are you implying that I am ugly, sir?” snapped the young man in response.

“Blast, I’m really ruining this aren’t I?” He sighed, and tried one final time.

“What I meant to say is I find you objectively attractive, and I don’t mean that to come off as a flirtation, I am merely confused as to how no one else seems to notice it.”

“You...you see me as beautiful then?” the younger man responded hesitantly.

“Yes, or handsome if you prefer. Why, I’m sure you noticed when you looked in the mirror. I can’t be the first person who has been intrigued as to why a stunning man like you would be a bartender’s apprentice in a place such as this.”

This made Kane look a little uneasy.

“Forgive me for bringing it up, I am clearly making you uncomfortable. Please, forget I said a thing.” As he turned to leave, Ezio felt a soft pull on the sleeve of his coat.

“Would you come with me, sir? For just a moment?”

Ezio didn’t know if it was the slight look of desperation in the young man’s eye, or the imminent sense of danger that made him follow Kane through the twisting halls of the pleasure house, and into the small cramped apartments for the women who worked there. When Mr. Kane finally halted, they found themselves on a creaky balcony overcrowded with potted plants of different varieties.

“I’ve never told anyone this before, but I believe I might be in danger. When I was born, my parents were overjoyed their child wasn’t burdened with magic as most nobility are. It wasn’t until my baby shower, and someone tried to kidnap me that my parents realized something was wrong.” The young man took a deep breath before continuing on. “I lived shut away from the world for much of my childhood, but my parents couldn’t hide me forever. So, when I turned sixteen, I was sent to one of the most powerful witches in the kingdom of Gaduar, Dehna the wise. She put a protective spell on me that would make me unnoticeable to everyone around me. It has worked perfectly so far, sometimes too much so, but if you can see me, something must be wrong. If the spell is beginning to fail… what will happen to me?"

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Thanks for reading! I will try and update regularly. Let me know if you have questions!


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